Over the next few reviews, I wanted to talk about some albums from last year that I didn’t get around to, and they all have a specific theme — nu-metalcore. Over the last few years, both nu-metal and alt-metal have slowly crept back into heavy music, and it’s fully back now. I haven’t really listened to a lot of hands in this vein that I really liked in the past couple of years, but last year, a handful of bands put out some solid nu-metalcore albums. I’ve been listening to some of them this past week, because I’ve been looking for some bouncy, groovy, and energetic nu-metalcore. The first band, and my favorite one, that I wanted to cover is UnityTX’s proper debut album, Ferality. I’ve been aware of these guys for the last handful of years, but they’ve only put out EPs and singles from time to time. I remember hearing bits and pieces of Ferality last year, but I never listened to it in full, and I’ve been wanted to check this out.
I’m really bummed I waited so long, because man, this album would have been one of my favorites of last year. This is such a fun, energetic, intense, and diverse album that showcases a catchier side to the band. This thing is only a half hour long, but it packs a huge punch. I will say that if you’re expecting nothing but nu-metal bangers with a sick and bouncy groove and breakdowns for days, you’ll be disappointed. This album runs the gamut between a lot of different sounds, including nu-metalcore, hip-hop, industrial, and more straight up alt-metal. Every song on this album is different in its own way, and I love that about this record. It has a good sense of variety, so when the album gets heavier, it feels more earned than if every song sounded the same.
Every sound works quite well, too, especially when they move into a catchier sound. Part of that is due to vocalist Jay Webster being able to adapt his vocals to whatever he needs to, whether it’s a nu-metalcore banger like “ROC SH1T,” “Rotting Away (Gore),” or “World Of Malice,” an industrial song like “Diamond Diez,” a hip-hop cut like “Lost In Dayz,” or even a Disturbed-sounding cut like “Killing Alchemy.” Webster sounds just like David Draiman on that last song, and it’s a cool Disturbed song they never wrote. The instrumentation helps, too, though, as the performances are quite good, and the album never gets boring or dull.
I don’t have any issues with this album, but I can see people being upset that the album isn’t “heavy” enough. There are some awesome breakdowns, and some really heavy moments here, but they feel earned, as opposed to bands whose albums sound the same and the breakdowns don’t hit as hard. The first couple songs and the last few songs are the hardest hitting ones, so the album starts and ends really heavy. It’s the middle that tries to stand out and do something different, but it works quite well. I wish I would have heard this album last year, because it would have been in my top ten, possibly top five. This record absolutely rules, and if you love 90s and 00s nu-metalcore, you’ll love this album.
jacobvanloon
gummygunk
titsay
izzy806
vaporwave
turnnoffyourmind
